Mentors: Serenity Banden, Laura Lambiase, and Andrew Barry
DNA Sequencing of entire large, complex genomes has traditionally been performed using Sanger Sequencing, which has been recently replaced by “next-generation” technologies. These new technologies create a challenge for assembling the whole genome sequence from all of the very small pieces of DNA sequence data obtained from these new methods. Simon and his mentors sought to design a new low cost method for complex genome assembly using these next-generation technologies, and to test its feasibility using the guinea pig genome.
Simon piloted this new method by preparing the entire guinea pig genome for sequencing using his new strategy, and taking the project through to the completion of sequencing all two billion letters of DNA in the genome. Preliminary analysis indicates that the strategy was successful and feasible. The on-going analysis of these data will be used to demonstrate the viability of using this newly developed strategy to obtain the sequence of a new previously unsequenced mammalian genome.